Should Falling Asleep Behind the Wheel a Crime
Moises Molina
April 22, 2013
Mrs. Gibson
3rd Block
Debate Essay
Although many may argue that falling asleep behind the wheel should be seen as merely an accident due to the lack of control one has over it, I am here today to tell you that this issue should be seen as a crime and should in fact be taken very seriously. Surprisingly more than 16% of accidents that have occurred over the past 10 years have been due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel; one in every eight crashes that have sent someone to the hospital has been due to drowsiness of a driver. Many times the thought of a person falling asleep while driving is over looked at the scene of an accident, but today we must realize the importance of this crime by looking at the statistics and how this is truly a life threatening crime that takes lives every day. Despite the fact that most people understand the dangers of driving while under the influence, people today do not realize the consequences that may follow getting behind the wheel drowsy. According to the article Asleep at the Wheel, “4% of all fatal crashes and 31% of fatal- to- the- driver commercial truck crashes are contributed by sleep drivers.” Because of the low percentage this has, this may not seem like a big deal to anyone, however, “Those crashes result in an estimated 1,500 fatalities and 71,000 injuries each year, and an annual monetary loss of approximately $12.5 billion.” This is money the government is losing and that the community is forced to pay. By sharing the importance of how dangerous this act truly is, we are not only saving lives, but could also be potentially saving money for our government. Along with these statistics, this also is just as life threatening as driving under the influence. If a person under the age of 21 is pulled over, they have an alcohol limit of 0.01, while anyone over 21has an alcohol limit of 0.08; anything over these amounts are followed with severe consequences such as a DUI. What may you
April 22, 2013
Mrs. Gibson
3rd Block
Debate Essay
Although many may argue that falling asleep behind the wheel should be seen as merely an accident due to the lack of control one has over it, I am here today to tell you that this issue should be seen as a crime and should in fact be taken very seriously. Surprisingly more than 16% of accidents that have occurred over the past 10 years have been due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel; one in every eight crashes that have sent someone to the hospital has been due to drowsiness of a driver. Many times the thought of a person falling asleep while driving is over looked at the scene of an accident, but today we must realize the importance of this crime by looking at the statistics and how this is truly a life threatening crime that takes lives every day. Despite the fact that most people understand the dangers of driving while under the influence, people today do not realize the consequences that may follow getting behind the wheel drowsy. According to the article Asleep at the Wheel, “4% of all fatal crashes and 31% of fatal- to- the- driver commercial truck crashes are contributed by sleep drivers.” Because of the low percentage this has, this may not seem like a big deal to anyone, however, “Those crashes result in an estimated 1,500 fatalities and 71,000 injuries each year, and an annual monetary loss of approximately $12.5 billion.” This is money the government is losing and that the community is forced to pay. By sharing the importance of how dangerous this act truly is, we are not only saving lives, but could also be potentially saving money for our government. Along with these statistics, this also is just as life threatening as driving under the influence. If a person under the age of 21 is pulled over, they have an alcohol limit of 0.01, while anyone over 21has an alcohol limit of 0.08; anything over these amounts are followed with severe consequences such as a DUI. What may you